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Gina Prosch

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life roll

When There’s No End in Sight?

Last week I wrote about Life Rolls, and someone emailed asking: “What do you do when you’re on a life roll and have been for months, but there’s no end in sight?”

Unfortunately, life rolls like these can be extremely frustrating because they can (and do!) go on and on and on. And ON.

But when will it get better?

Two weeks, two months, two years, never?

The stress levels rise because there’s no predictability, and when there’s no target date to aim for, it’s just plain hard.

So what DO you do then

Make More Tunnels.

Any time I’m in the middle of a big life roll, I tend to smash all the stresses together into a giant ball, and there really isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel.

What if instead of one too-big passage, there were more, but smaller, tunnels?

See, not every aspect of a life roll lasts the same amount of time, and while there may not be light at the end of all the tunnels, there might be in one or two of them. And one is better than none because seeing one thing taken care of makes it easier to believe the other things will also work out…eventually.

Embrace the suck.

Being in the middle of a life roll isn’t usually a bucket of fun, but often there’s no alternative. When the only way around is through, that’s the time to “embrace the suck.

Why waste energy trying to avoid the problem? Instead, spend all your energy solving the problem. Jump in with both feet. Soak it all in. Take note of the awful, and especially make note of the not so awful (because there will be some of that, too). Pay attention to everything.

Then be ready to tell a great story when it’s all over, because nothing lasts forever, and some experiences are WAY better in retrospect

Be Your Own Light

During a life roll, it’s all too easy to focus on the negative. Sometimes I get so caught up in focusing on the fact “there’s no light – what am I going to do!!!!” that I forget I’ve got a flashlight (or at least a phone flashlight app) in my pocket.

It doesn’t pay to wait around for other people to turn on the flip the switch; instead, be the light.

Give yourself a pep talk. Remind yourself that you’ve been in difficult situations before and you’ve found solutions. In fact, so far you’ve got a 100% track record of making it through every single day — even the hardest of days.

Accept The New Normal

Sometimes major life changes come disguised as a life roll, when what they really are is “new normal.

Bring home a new baby to join your family and it’s definitely a life roll! But here’s the thing…it’s also a new normal.

Decide to pull your child out of school to homeschool and it’s a life roll, but it’s also a new normal.

The broken hip or knee replacement that starts as a life roll with a hospital stay and physical therapy is actually new normal

Be patient with yourself.  It takes time to adjust to the idea that life is, now and forever, changed. Life is different now from the way it was in The Before Times.

Be honest and grieve the loss of old normal so, in time, you’ll be able to life roll into new normal and find joy and excitement and happiness there.

Be grateful. Once new normal has been around long enough to become plain ole “normal” – take a look around and appreciate it…because without a doubt there’s another life roll coming down the road a ways.

Are you going through a life roll right now? 

If you are and you’d like a friendly guide to help you through, my life coaching packages are an ideal solution. E-mail gina@ginaprosch.com for details.


Filed Under: Gina Prosch Blog Tagged With: life coaching, life roll, light at the end of the tunnel, what to do next

It’s a Life Roll

When I told my husband this week’s blog post was about chaotic times in life, he replied, “Dean Wesley Smith calls those Life Rolls.”

The first time I heard that term it instantly reminded me of Raiders of the Lost Ark when that giant stone comes rolling toward Indiana Jones. All Indy’s carefully laid plans are out the window, and there’s nothing he can do but react, hoping to stay ahead of the boulder rolling his way.

Life Roll.

I love being able to put a name to what I’ve been experiencing the last several weeks, and this week in particular.

Life happens…and being able to roll with it is imperative.

Sometimes a Life Roll is small and easy to deal with, but other times they’re bigger and more all-encompassing–with the ability to throw me off track for huge chunks of time until I can regroup.

Sometimes Life Rolls are predictable, and other times they sneak up and catch me off guard.

Here in mid-Missouri it’s been Life Roll Central. We’ve been slammed by cold, unrelenting winter weather. The skies have too often been gray, and the snow — all the SNOW — has caused all sorts of plans to be rearranged or cancelled. Mother Nature has cost me lots of time.

It’s a Life Roll.

Add to that being slammed with work deadlines, and I’m behind schedule from where I wanted to be when I planned out the first 12 weeks of this year.

Another Life Roll.

Then factor in the “regular life” stuff like this week — Ice Show Week — when our figure skater son is participating in our local rink’s presentation. Three different numbers and three different costumes — tech rehearsals, pictures, dress rehearsals and three shows over the weekend.

It’s a Life Roll.

Nothing to do but roll along with with it. 

But how?

Pull out those Special Rules for Life Rolls (a.k.a. The Plan for Life When it Hits the Fan).

Show yourself some grace and mercy. You can’t do everything, so ditch  everything that isn’t absolutely necessary…then do the best you can and don’t worry about the rest. 

Take Care of the Basics. Is there food? Do we have the essentials like coffee and toilet paper? Is the laundry caught up so at least we’ve got clean socks and underwear. Can we get to bed early so we don’t get run down?

Set Some Reminders. Have you written encouraging notes and stuck them in your kid’s lunch box? Do that for yourself! Tape a note saying “Next week will be better!” on the mirror. Set a phone notification that says  “Chaos. Is. Temporary.”

Soak It All In. Because Life Rolls are temporary, I figure I might as well absorb every moment of it so I remember it and try learn from it.  Soaking in this year’s Ice Show Life Roll, I know what to do next year when Ice Show week rolled around. 

Celebrate When It’s Done. Give yourself a reward when life returns to normal. Start that new book you’ve looked forward to reading. Treat yourself to a manicure. Schedule time for a weekend indulging in a favorite hobby. 

And now—wish me luck! I wrote this during last weekend, because I knew I’d be in the middle of a life roll on Tuesday…it’s Ice Show Week! 

Filed Under: Gina Prosch Blog Tagged With: life roll, planning for chaos, why does it happen because it happens

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